Rachel Tuffnell qualified as a physiotherapist in 2007 and has subsequently worked in a number of NHS services in both primary and secondary care, with a particular focus on chronic respiratory disease.

Her interest in clinical research led her to complete a Masters of Clinical Research in 2014, and she has undertaken research evaluating pulmonary rehabilitation and exercise interventions in chronic kidney disease.

Rachel has particular expertise in exercise interventions and pulmonary rehabilitation. She has worked as a Specialist Physiotherapist in the Cambridge Breathlessness Intervention Service since 2018.

In 2020, she was awarded an NIHR Pre-doctoral Clinical Academic Fellowship.

Her research focuses on community-based complex interventions for the management of intractable breathlessness in chronic disease, focusing on rehabilitation and exercise-based intervention.